San Clemente-based nonprofit group has two days to reach fundraising goal

Aug. 2, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 12:28 p.m.

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People nationwide sign the Text Kills bus as a pledge to refrain from texting while driving. Over the past three years, the bus has accumulated more than 100,000 signatures and has had to be re-wrapped three times in order to make more surface area. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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On July 30, a group of friends and supporters loaded 100 cases of Popchips into the Text Kills bus by forming a line and passing the cases from person to person. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Texting while driving is now the leading killer of U.S. teens, a statistic Text Kills hopes to counteract. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Text Kills is two days from the end of its month-long fundraising effort via online platform Indiegogo. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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San Clemente resident Wayne Irving originally founded Text Kills as an outreach project of phone app developer Iconosys, Inc. Over the past three years, Text Kills has expanded and branched off into a separate nonprofit organization. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Text Kills bus, which has been delivering its message nationwide since 2010, was at the organization's San Clemente headquarters July 30 to receive a 100-case donation from Popchips. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Text Kills executive producer Ryan Foland, web and social media specialist Rosemary Meyerott, videographer Vraj Parikh and Text Kills founder Wayne Irving pose with Swerve, the organization's mascot. Irving and Parikh are both San Clemente residents. The gorilla's name is based on the effect that texting has on distracted drivers. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Popchips donated 100 cases of product as incentives for Text Kills supporters to help fund the documentary, which will be used as a teaching tool at schools and institutions across the country. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A group of friends and supporters loaded 100 cases of Popchips into the Text Kills bus by forming a line and passing the cases from person to person. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

People nationwide sign the Text Kills bus as a pledge to refrain from texting while driving. Over the past three years, the bus has accumulated more than 100,000 signatures and has had to be re-wrapped three times in order to make more surface area. BY SARA GOLD, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

By end of day Aug. 5, Text Kills, a San Clemente-based nonprofit that warns of the dangers of texting and driving, hopes to raise $15,000 for an educational documentary through the online crowd funding platform Indiegogo.

"With Indiegogo, we have created a centralized project that people can participate in," said Text Kills executive producer Ryan Foland. "It's a way for people not to just hand us cash but to get rewards and also be a part of what we're doing."

Additionally, corporations such as Coca-Cola and Popchips are supporting the project by donating free merchandise as incentives for people to donate.

On July 30, Popchips delivered 100 free cases of potato chips to Text Kills' San Clemente headquarters. From now until Monday night, Text Kills supporters who contribute $25 to the documentary will receive a case of Popchips, valued at $36.

Friends and supporters came to San Clemente on July 30 to load the cases into the Text Kills bus, which tours colleges and high schools across the country to educate students about the dangers of texting while driving. Throughout its travels, the bus has accumulated more than 100,000 signatures from those pledging not to text and drive.

"It's eye-opening to see all the signatures – it speaks volumes to the power of grassroots support of a major issue like texting and driving," Foland said.

The monthlong campaign is raising funds for Text Kills' upcoming documentary, "Smartphones of Mass Destruction." Once completed, the documentary will be distributed to schools at no charge – 16,000 high schools have already requested the film. And even if the fundraising goal is not reached, the film will still be made.

"Smartphones of Mass Destruction" will include the story of Wade Morgan, a former Coast Guard member injured in a car accident caused by a texting driver. In addition, University of Kansas psychology professor Paul Atchley, who has investigated cognitive factors related to driving for more than 20 years, will provide a scientific perspective on the issue.

The crew will visit several local high schools, including San Clemente High, during filming of the documentary. The filming is set to take place Oct. 21-27 as part of National Teen Driver Safety Week. The documentary is expected to be released in March.

Text Kills was conceived three years ago as an outreach of phone app developer Iconosys Inc. Text Kills has since branched off as a separate organization, receiving its official 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation about two months ago.

In addition to launching Text Kills, Iconosys has created almost 1,000 smartphone apps since 2009, including Word Bully, which screens text messages for vulgarity and profanity; and Drive Reply, which sends automated texts to people who text message you while you're driving.

"We provide technological solutions to problems technology has caused," said Foland, who is also chief operating officer of Iconosys. "Text bullying and texting while driving are big problems, and it is more imperative now than ever that people use technology consciously and responsibly."

For more information, visit textkills.com or call 949-436-TEXT (8398).

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